“ He’s just Tall “… ?? pic.twitter.com/8HLKbXqyr3
— “The Real Joker????????” (@IamDTJ11) August 18, 2020
One of the top remaining Oregon targets is showing off his top-end speed. Baltimore (Md.) Mount Saint Joseph 2021 wide receiver Dont’e Thornton posted a video on twitter on Tuesday running a 40-yard dash and clocked in at a blazing 4.43-second time.
The 6-foot-5 receiver wanted to prove that he’s more than just a big target and he did that, captioning his tweet with “He’s just tall…”.
Not only did Thornton post the 4.43-second time, but he also did it while wearing Oregon shorts. The prospect has been often wearing Duck apparel during his workout videos posted to instagram and twitter this spring and summer.
The Ducks have shown that Thornton is one of their most important targets over the past year, with numerous edits and coaches stopping by his high school. In January, Oregon hadn’t even formally announced the hire of new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead but the former Mississippi State head coach was spotted on the road visiting Thornton’s high school coaches.
Additionally, when Thornton listed his Top 12 in early April, the wideout prospect included South Carolina on his list of top schools with the primary recruiter for the Gamecocks being current Oregon wide receiver coach Bryan McClendon.
Thornton’s current list is a top six, consisting of Arizona State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC and Virginia. Oregon is the heavy favorite for the wideout though, holding all 11 projections for the receiver in the 247Sports Crystal Ball.
In the industry-generated 247Sports composite rankings, Thornton is listed as the No. 51 overall prospect and the No. 6 wideout in the 2021 class. On 247Sports, Thornton checks in as the No. 64 overall prospect and the No. 9 wide receiver in the class.
247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn evaluates Thornton as a day two projection in a future NFL Draft with a comparison to Kenny Golladay on the Detroit Lions
“Long, wiry frame but needs to add strength. Releases off the line well and gets into route quickly,” said Dohn evaluating the elite wideout. “Knows how to set up defensive backs. Locates ball well and is sure-handed. Possession receiver with big-play capability. Has deceptive speed. Runs 4.63 in 40. Attacks ball in air. Good body control and flexibility. Legitimate red-zone threat. Needs to tighten his route running out of breaks. Must get stronger in the upper body. High-level player for elite Power 5 program. Second- or third-round NFL draft potential.”